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Have you ever thought about what it would be like to touch rim?
How about dunk?
And I’m not talking about a once in a while thing, I mean all the time.
Maybe you’ve already gone through a few programs that have given you little to no results, but I’ll bet you haven’t tried .
I’m sure you’ve probably heard of this program, and if you’re anything like me when I first came across it, you probably have a couple of questions.
What is ? Does this program work? Is it free?
Well, in this , I’m going to lay out all you need to know about this and how it can radically speed up your progress from newbie to professional slammer.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I’ll earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Read my full disclosure here.
The Vert Shock Program Summary: Vert Shock is a program designed to increase your vertical by as much as 15 inches in as little as 8 weeks. It does so by focusing on plyometric and bodyweight exercises that target and engage the legs and core. The program is divided into three phases and supplies worksheets that lay out the workout sessions for each week, as well as high-quality videos that show how to perform each exercise. If I had to describe the program in one word, I’d say: effective. Everything is easy to follow, and the program gets results quick! Pros:
Cons:
Final Rating: I personally saw great results with this program, and a lot of other people have too! In my opinion, this is one of, if not the best vertical jump training program you can get right now. There’s really nothing else like it in the market! |
Vert Shock Review: What I Wanted to Accomplish with Vert Shock
Hi there, let me introduce myself. My name is Gabe.
I’m a short guy with a love for , which isn’t the greatest combination, but hey who cares?
I remember playing since I was little, shooting palm-sized balls into small hoops.
Soon enough I started playing on full-sized courts and getting blocked by giant defenders. That was a bit of a slap in the face to realize I wasn’t a great player, and my size didn’t help.
Even now as an adult, I still wouldn’t call myself great, but the game always manages to bring me back into it.
I love the competition, the feeling of making a 3-pointer, and the style between players. And the one thing that never fails to catch my attention when it comes to is the dunk.
Watching videos of professional players dunking is awesome enough as is, so to see it in person is easily the highlight of any game.
Watching someone in the same court reach ten feet in height from a single is downright crazy and it really makes you think, “dang, that guy is pretty good at .”
You can tell almost immediately from the way people dunk that they’re a serious threat on the courts.
Some would say that jumping that high is basically close to impossible without good genes, and if you’re like me, you’ve probably asked yourself if you could ever do the same.
Well, it was with that thought in mind that I started searching for a program that could get me to higher than I ever thought possible.
I looked for every resource available on increasing my vertical, jumping from articles to programs until finally, I came across this tagline:
And I was hooked.
What is Vert Shock?
is an intensive that claims to increase your vertical by as much as 15 in eight weeks.
Now, I know what you’re thinking, and believe me, I thought the same thing. Eight weeks to increase a vertical by as much as 15 ?
There’s no way that’s true. Other programs take way longer than a simple two months to finish and still don’t guarantee results like that.
What makes so different from other programs?
I had the same doubts when I first came across it, but after going through some of the testimonials of people who used the program, my curiosity finally got the best of me.
I saw they had a 60-day money-back guarantee, so I figured that I would at least test out the for the first week and see what it had to offer.
After all, if it somehow worked, I’d be the tallest jumper on the block, and if it didn’t, then I could just ask for a refund.
So, I took it, and I don’t regret it.
Who Created Vert Shock?
Let’s take a moment to talk about the people behind the Vert Shock program.
Adam Folker
Adam Folker is the founder of Thincpro, a former college player for UC Irvine turned professional player.
In high school, Adam was well-known when he was chosen as one of the top 5 high school players in Canada.
But this wasn’t always the case; he had his fair share of struggles as an athlete growing up.
During his freshman years, standing at 6’4″, he could barely touch rim.
That’s rough, but the fact that he was one of the tallest players on his team just added insult to injury.
This pushed Adam deep into research, spending hundreds of hours online looking through every resource possible on .
As of now, Adam even has a Professional Strength and Conditioning Certificate or CSCS (Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist).
He’s that committed, and it’s this driving force of his that would eventually lead to the creation of the .
Justin ‘Jus Fly’ Darlington
or ‘ ‘ helped Folker a great deal with the creation of the , and believe it or not, the experience he got from working on is what led to his insane ability to dunk.
Justin and Adam grew up together in Canada, and during his early years, Justin wasn’t much of a dunker. He also had a hard time reaching the rim.
But after working on the alongside Folker, his improved a good bit, enough to grant him the title of #1 dunker in the world.
He currently has a vertical of 50.1 , at the height of 6’4″, and his dunking videos are just about all the proof you need that this program works.
Vert Shock Pricing
So, how much does cost?
Well sorry to burst your bubble, but this program isn’t free.
The program itself is $134, which can seem pretty steep (at least it did for me).
But you can get at a 50% discount, although I’m not sure how long the deal will last.
It drops the price down from $134 to $67, which is a nice way of saving a couple bucks.
And as I mentioned, has a 60 Day Money-back Guarantee, so if you aren’t satisfied, you could always get your money back no sweat.
But trust me, with the amount of value that Adam and Justin put into this program, the content alone will be worth the price.
If you want to get that discount, click the button below!
What Do You Get with Vert Shock?
So, after buying the , you’re given your login information to access the members’ section.
Here, the is broken into three phases: Pre , , and Post .
Each phase is given a different role that when put together blends into one intensive program.
The entire course is laid out for you to follow with the use of printable program worksheets in the form of PDFs that have a full breakdown for each week.
The worksheets tell you the days you rest, the days you , what exercises you have on a given day and the number of sets and reps per .
Everything is made easy to understand and the website is easy to navigate.
Alongside these worksheets are instruction videos that give you a visual reference on how to perform each , as shown by a professional athlete.
With , you also get free added content on nutrition, dunking tips, and a maintenance system that helps you keep your results long after you finish.
You can see the rest of the information on the official site.
How Does Vert Shock Work?
After reading this far, you’re probably asking yourself:
Well, I’m a let you in on the secret.
The are unique in that they target the Type 2B (special name for jumping muscles) through intense sessions that involve plyometric exercises.
These are the same fibers that contract quickly and lead to a lot of force, also known as the .
You have these fibers throughout your whole body, but you’re going to primarily focus on developing them in your legs and core, since these contribute most to your ability to .
In order to train these muscles, your body needs to be pushed to its limits, since they only activate when relied on as a last resort by the body.
This way, you can begin to strengthen these specific muscles and use them more often to increase explosiveness and improve recruitment when jumping.
If what I just explained sounded in any way complicated, that’s because it kind of is.
That’s why it’s really nice to have a program that does all the heavy lifting for you when it comes to selecting the right exercises, structuring the workouts, etc.
Pre Shock Phase
This is the first week of the course, and dare I say, the most brutal. Get ready folks, because you’re about to enter the .
Even if you’re in good shape, the next few days will you.
But then again, that’s the point; this part focuses on building speed and endurance while also improving on form.
The first phase has a total of 6 days with one day for rest. There are 4 to 6 exercises each day, and each session will average about 13 sets in total.
This is not including the dynamic warm-up and cool-down routines before and after exercising, which I highly recommend doing to avoid injuries.
Many people who have gone through the continue using these two routines as they help with higher by releasing tension.
Pre-Shock Phase Workouts
Something you’ll notice right off the bat is the number of exercises they have you complete.
You receive a lot of variations, like seated box jumps and depth jumps that target the lower body and core. They also include exercises aimed at the upper body, leaving you well-rounded.
Different
groups are exercised on different days. So even though your primary focus is legs and core, you may do that consecutively for two days and then train your upper body the following day.
This gives your legs and core a day of rest, and so on.
For me, week 1 of was pretty tough. Going straight into plyometric exercises with no prior experience, I was in for a surprise.
This phase was definitely a strong indicator of what to expect from the coming weeks, and even if it was a rough time, I liked the challenge.
Each took around an hour to complete, with the dynamic warm-up and cool-down lasting 20 minutes.
This was great since I was able to dedicate a brief window of each day to improving my .
After the first week, I felt a bit heavy to be honest, with less energy on the court than when I started.
This went away after about a day of rest, and I wasn’t too worried about my progress since Folker says that the first week isn’t designed for you to see improvements.
It’s just a starting period to get you used to the . So, with that, I went on to the second phase.
Shock Phase
Here we have week 2-7, a total of 6 weeks of where the majority of our transformation occurs.
Shock Phase Workouts
There are 4-6 workouts a week, same as the last phase, which will alternate between that target the legs and core to jumping-specific movements, and finally, intense plyometric exercises.
These include planking for the core, lateral high jumps and depth for explosiveness, and deep squats with uphill squat jumps that increase power.
You also have some sprinting exercises (not too many since endurance is not our goal!) and every ability to dunk!
is meant to be completed at maximum intensity. This all translates to your
High-intensity plyometrics play a key role in jumping higher, and are arguably the strongest component of any .
This is mainly for getting your muscles used to the repetitive movements so that they react faster and develop the reflex that launches you higher up.
These next six weeks of the program were intense, but I still felt up to the challenge. I can see why people get such crazy results; is a demanding program, pushing you every day to give it your all.
On Week 2 and week 3, I felt worn out; I was having a hard time keeping up with the exercises because of the lack of rest days.
Eventually came week 4, and I started getting into the habit of exercising.
I spent less time feeling sore, and little by little, I adapted to the sessions.
And it seemed like the hard work was starting to pay off. By week 5, I had a 27 inch vertical!
That was a big surprise going from a 17 inch vertical and adding a total of 10 in a matter of only five weeks.
During this phase, stay focused on doing the proper warm-up and cool down, following each correctly, and getting good rest.
It’s easy to hurt your progress when you’re tired, and an injury could post-pone your ability to continue with the program, leading to a major setback.
With my improved vertical, I worked through week 6 and week 7 determined to give it my all, aiming for my goal of becoming the dunking king!
Post-Shock Phase
This is week 8 of , the final week of the program, making for a total of of .
Post-Shock Phase Workouts
Here we have a similar layout to the first week with six days and one rest day.
Workouts are nearly all jumping, with a lot of repetitions.
The final week is focused on jumping so that your body fully ingrains the motions until they become second nature.
It’s all about memory so that when you go to dunk, you don’t even have to think about it (If you don’t believe this works, just look at professional dunkers like Jordan Kilganon).
The Post- , the final week of this intensive program, was easily the toughest part for me. By now, had me beat, but I pushed through while trying to keep an even schedule.
This program went far beyond what I expected; I still wasn’t able to dunk, but I went all the way up to a 29 inch vertical; I could touch rim!
My Results with Vert Shock
So, the final question left to answer is, does work?
Before I started the program, I checked my with a tape measure, and it was around 17 .
After finishing the , I walked away with the roadmap I needed to reach the rim and went from my original 17 inch vertical to a stunning 29 inch vertical.
Now when I go to play , I amaze myself and my friends at how high I .
I didn’t, however, reach my initial goal of being able to dunk (at least not yet), but I felt way more explosive on the court, so I was pretty happy.
Even though I won’t be able to dunk like Justin any time soon, I understand that it’s going to take longer than eight weeks for me to really reach my goal.
After all, I’m 5’8″, so adding 12 isn’t going to take me all the way to slamming down on hoops.
But now that I’ve completed once, I could probably squeeze in another go to see if I can get a few more on my .
Things I Wish I Knew Before Vert Shock
My first run at went pretty well considering my results, but I feel I would have had a much smoother experience if I had been given some tips on the program before starting.
I think something important to keep in mind is the amount of time and energy that takes to complete.
Had I known, I could have planned my schedule ahead of time for the next two months.
But instead, I crammed the sessions into my schedule the best that I could.
At times I pushed back workouts a day or two so that I could make time for my body to recover.
That was another tip that would have been helpful; going into the program, I hadn’t done much of plyometrics, so doing a bit of those before starting could have better prepared my body for the workouts.
Vert Shock Pros and Cons
After a few weeks on the , I still kept my , and the workouts during this time were a nice change of pace.
It was a step down from the intense exercises you perform in the actual course, and all the while, I kept my 29-inch from when I first finished the program.
Looking back on as a whole, there was a lot that I liked; the course does a great job of getting you results fast.
But now that I’ve had some time to step back and collect my thoughts on the program, I can see some areas of the that could have been handled better.
Cons
Let’s take a moment to talk about the cons that I found. I want to be as transparent as possible with my experience, even if I did get good results.
Requires a Decent Dedication of Time & Energy
The entire takes course over two months; during that time, your energy is going to be sapped.
Although the program’s duration is short compared to other programs, that doesn’t make it any less demanding.
I would recommend against trying to do much else during this time since you’ll be physically exhausted.
I know I was, and if you don’t put your all into each , it’s unlikely you’ll achieve much.
Also, try to follow the program as best as you can; look at your timing on the program to see if you’re up to pace (unless you feel as though you need to slow down).
Getting excellent results in such little time requires you to put in lots of time and energy but be sure prioritize your health before anything else.
Not Recommended for Select Groups
If you’re injury-prone or over the age of 30, then it’d in your best interest to look for a slower program, like The .
has an incredibly intense routine to deliver on its promise of dunking in .
There’s a great deal that’s required of you to get it done (those inches won’t come easy).
If you feel that kind of pressure is a bit too much for you to handle, then I would advise either going at a slower pace or going with an alternative.
Not Much Research Provided
Though it’s not a big deal, there’s a lack of background information on how we go about reaching a high .
Everything is much more oriented towards you doing rather than learning, which is understandable; considering the time-frame of the course, there isn’t much time to dedicate towards education.
With this program, quick and outstanding results are promised, but as for a detailed explanation of how the program grows your vertical and the science behind 2B fibers, that’s best found elsewhere.
Pros
Although there were a few issues that could have been fixed up, I can’t deny that the program still does an awesome job of giving you what you need to go from barely jumping to being an explosive beast.
Two Months of Exercise
This is probably heralded as the program’s biggest upside, and that’s the time it takes to complete it.
You probably just did a double take to see if you read that correctly, but yes, the con I mention is also the program’s biggest pro. Well not exactly, let me explain.
Compared to pretty much every other available, is by far the most efficient, making use of such a narrow window of time to deliver jaw-dropping results.
Thanks in part to its unique approach to plyometrics , you can see results quickly and even complete sessions in about an hour, massively loosening the overall time constraints.
So even though it requires plenty of time and energy to get good results, you won’t find another program that gets you those results as quickly as this one.
No Gym Required
Being that strength training (at least with the base program). is a plyometrics-oriented program, it doesn’t involve any kind of
That means that none of the exercises in this program require the use of gym equipment, so everything can be done from home or at a local park.
This is great since it saves you the time and money spent on either a gym membership or gym equipment, letting you jump straight into the .
You could, however, choose to buy the “Complex Routines” which is a separate module that includes more advanced exercises with .
Program Is Easy to Follow
is transparent in its approach; follow the plan laid out in the PDFs, look at the videos if you need a reference on how to perform each , and repeat this process for the next eight weeks.
At the same time, remember to be well-rested and eat healthy.
The videos are just the exercises, nothing more, and the plans are straightforward.
Everything is done in an attempt to keep the program lean, and it works.
So, if you can follow this simple system, then you’re good to go.
All of the videos are recorded in full HD and are easy to follow; each video is replayed a second time at a slower speed so that you can pinpoint the form used more accurately.
The hub from where you access all of the videos and PDFs has a great layout with a designated section for each part of the course, making navigation across the site a breeze.
Workout Variety
Although we’re training to increase our vertical, Vert Shock includes much more than just jumping.
The variety of workouts leaves you well rounded, and because of the exercises you perform, they have other benefits such as you leaving lean and in better shape than when you started.
This holds especially true when considering its approach to plyometrics, the selection of exercises, and the formulation of each session which maximizes the gains you see.
Conclusion
Will work for you?
Well, if you’re on the lookout for a that can lead to a considerable improvement in your , has little to no requirements for equipment, and gets results fast, then is your best option.
In my honest opinion, it’s one of if not the best vertical jump program out right now.
I’ve seen people go through the program a second time and continue to get results but imagine what an already crazy increase of 9 to 15 could do for you.
That being said, it is one of the more intensive programs available for those who want to be jumping higher.
That means you’ll have a lot more workouts focused on your legs and core, making it imperative to use proper form and perform the exercises correctly to avoid getting injured.
But to answer your question, if you’re goal is to increase your vertical, then there is basically no better program you can go with than this one.